Swimming suit



5A; c. onora 1,848,160

SWIMMING SUIT March 8; 1932.l

- Filed March 29. 193g BVA/w27 a CO/fa/y ad/M@ ATTORNEYS Patented Mar.` 8, 1932 PATENT oFFlcE .ALVIN C'. COLTON, 0F MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA SWIMMING SUIT Application filed March 29, 1930. Serial No. 439,974.

The presentiinvention relates to a swimming suit formed of elastic material and having a body and trunk. The primary objects of this invention are to provide a close fitting 5 suit which will retain itsl shape under the strains to which it is subjected when worn ;V to provide a garment'which is comfortableto the wearerand ornate in appearance; and to provide a garment susceptible of economical l manufacture. y

Heretofore, swimming suits have been made of elastic materials such as rib knitted goods. Due to the strains to which the trunkhas been subjected under the strides taken by the wearer in walking and in swimming, the crotch has been made elastic, especially in a lateral direction. However, stretching 'v eventually results because of weakness of the garment at this point. I have found that the strains may be transferred from the crotch to the legs ofthe trunk and still retain freedom of movementofv the we arer. Reinforcement at the crotch to prevent stretching is desirable in order to retain the i shape. Furthermore, such reinforcement may be made to serve as a reinforcementfor the seat of the trunks and as a suspensory.

In order to transfer the'maximum strain from the trunk to the body, I have provided forsecuring the reinforcement to the base of the body whereby thebody takes the trunks strains, such as are induced by bending, and distributes them over a greater area of the garment. This avoids intensification of J strain at any one point with the result that the shape is better retained and tearing and ripping is avoided. Furthermore, .I have provided a novel one piece body. Other objects of this invention are to provide a swim- Vming suit having the aforementioned features. y

These objects are obtained by means of the embodiment of invention as illustrated in the' 45 accompanying drawings, in which Fig. lis a developed View or a view showing the iatpiece from which the body is formed; Fig. 2 shows the flat'piece. from which the trunk is formed; Fig. 3 shows the reinforcement piece; Fig. 4 is a rear elevationof the complete suit; and Fig. 5 is a sec. tion yas seen on the line 5-.-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the body of the garment denoted generally by is made preferably from a single 55 piece of ribbed elastic material and has two lobes 10a and 10b joined by a shoulder portion of reduced lateral width. An elongated neck opening 11 is provided so that shoulder straps 12 are formed. The lobes 10a andv 10b 60 l are of like shape, with curvate sides, the outer ends providing for la skirt in the completed garment. In completing the garment, the lobes are folded over one another and .sewed together lat their side edges so that a neck opening and arm holes are formed. A skirt 14 is formed extending downwardly` from a waist lineindicated by 15 in Fig. 4L v The trunk is shown as formed of a flat piece having/ends 16a and 166 for formingthe front 70 and lback of the trunk and a portion of reduced lateral width indicated by' 17 to provide a crotch. The complete trunk is denoted by 16 and is of hour glass shape. The flat sheet has its hour glass shaped surface uninterrupted.- The ends 16a and 166 are folded over and stitched at `the. side edges to provide for leg openings and a waist opening.

Before completing the trunk portion, a reinforcement is secured thereto. This rein- 80 forcement consists of a Hat piece of material which is in general of tandem arrowhead shape,- having one head 18 joined to another f head 19 by a common shank 20. The head 19 is of greater length than head 18 vand both 35 heads have their points blunted. The reinforcement issecured to the trunk piece with the shank 20 registered with the crotch'. The length. of thel arrowhead 19 is such that its point extends t'o the` outer edge of one of the 90 fends of trunk 16. The reinforcement is sewed at its marginal edges to the` trunk and the longer arrowhead serves` for the back of the trunk.v The't'runk and reinforcement are then sewed to the body at the waistline 15. It will be understood, that all edges of openings may be suitably Vhemmed.- The material of which the reinforcement is made is preferably double webbing. t y i i It will be noted that the reinforcement pro- |00 vides no seams to come in contactv with the wearer. VThe back portion of the reinforcement serves to reinforce the seat of the garment and as it is suspended at one end from the body of the suit, it will transfer strains to the body and thereby distribute them over -a large area of the garment. The reinforcement also serves as a suspensory, as there is sufficient stretching and giving of the material at the sides of the legs to permit freedom of movement without binding.

What I claim is l 1. As a new article of manufacture, a swimming suit having a body and a trunk; the trunk constituting a close fittingmember made from a single piece of elastic material of hour glass shape having ends joined by an intermediate crotch portion of reduced lateralwidth, the end portions constituting the front and back of the trunk and being stitched together at the sides with leg openings at the sides of the crotch; and a reinforcef ment within the trunk having ends joined by an intermediate portion of reduced lateral width conforming to the width of the crotch of said trunk and having its surface uninterrupted, said reinforcement being stitched atits marginal edges to said trunk with the ends overlying'the front and back of said trunk, one end of said reinforcement being secured to said ture.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a

swimming suit having a trunk; the trunk con stituting a close fitting member made from a single piece of elastic material of hour glass shape having ends joined by an intermediate crotch `-portion of reduced lateral width, the

end portions constituting the front and backv of the trunk and being stitched together at the sides with leg openings at the sides of the crotch; and a reinforcement within the trunk having ends joined by an intermediate portion of reduced lateral width conforming to the width` of the crotch of said trunk and having its surface uninterrupted, said reinforcement being stitched at its marginaledges to said trunk with the ends overlying the front and back of said trunk, the end constituting the back portion of said reinforcement being .stitched to the back .of said trunk and at the waist-line.

In'witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17th day of March, 1930.

`ALVIN C. COLTON.

trunk and Abody at their junc- 

